8. Commends the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of oil exploration/ exploitation in the Northern Albertine Rift region, including in the VNP; considers that, on the basis of that assessment, the governments concerned, including the DRC Government, should be able to take informed decisions based on proper analysis of the impact of oil exploration and exploitation; regrets, however, that the SEA process has been greatly delayed and that oil exploration has already started in the VNP, even though the SEA process has not yet been finalised;

35. Stresses the need for the Mekong River Commission to carry out thorough prior consultations and to make comprehensive environmental, fisheries, livelihoods and cross-border impact assessments of hydropower development plans in the mainstream of the Mekong River;

8. Stresses the enabling, creating and catalysing potential of the open internet and ICTs for community building, civil society, and global economic, social, scientific, cultural and political development; emphasises therefore the importance of unrestricted access to the free and open internet, both from an economic, social and human rights perspective;

9. Points out that, while denials and suspensions of licences following embargos or conflicts are a positive sign, they indicate that EU export policy is merely reactive in character; considers that according to the Common Position a more thorough assessment of the specific risks associated with recipient countries and of the EU’s security interests would be necessary before licensing;

99. Recalls that the 2014 Sakharov Prize was awarded to Dr Denis Mukwege for his strong engagement with victims of sexual violence and continuous promotion of women’s rights, which raised awareness of the use of violence and sexual mutilation of women, girls and children as means of war; strongly condemns all forms of abuse and violence against women, girls and children, especially the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as female genital mutilation, child, early and forced marriage, sexual slavery, marital rape, and other forms of harmful traditional practices; stresses the need for women, girls and children abused in con ...[+++]flicts to have access to health and psychological care, in line with international law; takes note in this context of the VP/HR letter regarding humanitarian aid policy, in particular preventing sexual violence and providing women with appropriate support and access to health and psychological care in case of rape in conflict situations; calls on the Council of Europe member states to sign and ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence;

39. Welcomes the Council’s adoption in May 2014 of the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline; recalls, however, its request to the EEAS to clarify the selection process for the topics covered by the EU Guidelines and also to consult Parliament and civil society on this matter prior to selecting the topics;

40. Reiterates its call on the VP/HR and the EEAS to effectively and consistently implement the EU Guidelines on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) , including in relation to conflicts and humanitarian crises in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine; recommends, in this context, that the EEAS support civil society organisations that promote respect for IHL by state and non-state actors; urges, moreover, that the EU actively use all instruments at its disposal to enhance compliance of state and non-state actors with IHL; calls for the EU and its Member States to contribute to the ongoing Switzerland/International Committee of ...[+++] the Red Cross initiative on strengthening compliance with IHL;

113. Regards underage marriages as fundamental human rights violations that affect all aspects of the lives of the girls involved, jeopardising their education and thus limiting their prospects, endangering their health and increasing the risks of them suffering violence and abuse;

40. Reiterates its call on the VP/HR and the EEAS to effectively and consistently implement the EU Guidelines on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including in relation to conflicts and humanitarian crises in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine; recommends, in this context, that the EEAS support civil society organisations that promote respect for IHL by state and non-state actors; urges, moreover, that the EU actively use all instruments at its disposal to enhance compliance of state and non-state actors with IHL; calls for the EU and its Member States to contribute to the ongoing Switzerland/International Committee of ...[+++]the Red Cross initiative on strengthening compliance with IHL;

112. Regards underage marriages as fundamental human rights violations that affect all aspects of the lives of the girls involved, jeopardising their education and thus limiting their prospects, endangering their health and increasing the risks of them suffering violence and abuse;

129. Positively notes the EU’s assistance to human rights defenders and civil society around the world through EIDHR funding; emphasises the particular importance of using the EIDHR to protect those human rights defenders most at risk; stresses also that support for human rights defenders at risk should primarily take into account the effectiveness criteria and avoid overly prescriptive conditions; calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the EU Delegations to ensure that the funding available for human rights defenders is properly used;

128. Positively notes the EU’s assistance to human rights defenders and civil society around the world through EIDHR funding; emphasises the particular importance of using the EIDHR to protect those human rights defenders most at risk; stresses also that support for human rights defenders at risk should primarily take into account the effectiveness criteria and avoid overly prescriptive conditions; calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the EU Delegations to ensure that the funding available for human rights defenders is properly used;

22. Welcomes the fact that in the recent EU-China Joint Statement on Climate Change, adopted at the 29 June 2015 summit, both sides expressed their commitment to work together to reach an ambitious and legally binding agreement at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015; urges all parties to the conference to build on the momentum created by the EU-China and US-China climate change statements; stresses the need to cooperate in the field of energy in order to tackle jointly the multiple challenges related to energy security and global energy architecture;

2. Considers that the Commission’s decision to proceed with the adoption of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/2279, despite its draft having been rejected by the committee responsible before the relevant vote in plenary, is in breach of Article 13(2) of the Treaty on European Union as regards the mutual sincere cooperation between the institutions;

C. whereas the Commission, despite the adoption on 1 December 2015 of a motion for a resolution by Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in which it objected to the draft implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize NK603 × T25 (MON-ØØ6Ø3-6 × ACS-ZMØØ3-2), decided to disrespect the principle of sincere cooperation between EU institutions by adopting the implementing decision on 4 December 2015, which was 10 days before the opening of the first plenary sitting of Parliament where Parliament could vote on th ...[+++]e motion for a resolution following its adoption in committee;

98. Recalls that the 2014 Sakharov Prize was awarded to Dr Denis Mukwege for his strong engagement with victims of sexual violence and continuous promotion of women’s rights, which raised awareness of the use of violence and sexual mutilation of women, girls and children as means of war; strongly condemns all forms of abuse and violence against women, girls and children, especially the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as female genital mutilation, child, early and forced marriage, sexual slavery, marital rape, and other forms of harmful traditional practices; stresses the need for women, girls and children abused in con ...[+++]flicts to have access to health and psychological care, in line with international law; takes note in this context of the VP/HR letter regarding humanitarian aid policy, in particular preventing sexual violence and providing women with appropriate support and access to health and psychological care in case of rape in conflict situations; calls on the Council of Europe member states to sign and ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence;

whereas a Union-wide withholding tax or a measure of similar effect would ensure that all profits generated within, and due to leave, the Union are taxed at least once within the Union before they leave the Union’s borders;

26. Emphasises that all base metals, including stainless steels and aluminium, are subject to global competition; considers it urgent for the Commission, in its analysis and comparisons, when defining relevant geographic markets, to take the global market as a reference and not to limit its analysis simply to the internal market; calls for an impact assessment of production capacities, which should consider, inter alia , plant and jobs, to be performed before any decisions are taken by the Commission’s DG Competition, and for its conclusions to be incorporated in the final publicity afforded to stakeholders; calls for a revision of competition policy and ...[+++]state aid rules in order to facilitate public intervention, with the aim of maintaining social and regional cohesion, improving environmental standards and addressing public health concerns;

E. whereas, however, the Commission asked Parliament on 12 November 2015, should it not intend to object to the delegated act, to notify the Commission accordingly on 21 December 2015 at the latest, since in order to ensure its timely publication in the Official Journal before 31 December 2015 and thereby secure the entry into force of the delegated act on 1 January 2016 as envisaged, it would have to be transmitted to the Publications Office by 21 December 2015;

K. whereas the majority of humanitarian crises have human-related causes; whereas 80 % of EU international humanitarian assistance is concentrated in man-made crises that require essentially political and not only humanitarian solutions; whereas poverty and vulnerability to crises are intrinsically linked, emphasising the need to address the underlying causes of crises, build resilience, reinforce capacity for adapting to natural disasters and climate change, and meet the long-term needs of affected people; whereas the consequences of humanitarian crises, such as migration and refugee challenges, will be even greater unless the root cau ...[+++]ses are addressed and there is better linkage between humanitarian and development cooperation assistance;

The European Parliament calls on the European Commission to bring forward a proposal by summer 2016 to introduce a withholding tax or a measure of similar effect, to ensure that all profits generated within the Union, and due to leave, are effectively taxed within the Union before they leave the Union’s borders.

33. Stresses that before considering any redundancies the manufacturers must use their own financial resources, including by retaining profits rather than distributing dividends, to cover as much as possible of the cost arising from the infringement of applicable law; points out that the company and its shareholders must absorb as much of the losses as possible prior to using taxpayer funds at Member State or EU level, in order to avoid moral hazard;

K. whereas the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) requires information on the main characteristics of a product to be provided prior to the conclusion of on- or off‑premises or distance contracts, and requires the Member States to have rules on effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties if the provisions of the directive are not fulfilled;

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